The great towel rip off

[redjockey39]

As was stated a few posts above, wouldn't it be nice if we all behaved like responsible adults so we could be treated like responsible adults. A vacation from our everyday lives does not entitle us to a vacation from personal responsibilities and common courtesy. In the end you really do get what you collectively pay for.

 

I do behave like a responsible adult with personal responsibilities and common courtesy. I behaved responsbily and swiped in and out correctly all my towels.

RC behaved less than responsibly with my credit card by charging me for towels that someone else from another stateroom had had, and yet still, over a month later they have not had the common courtesy to refund my card, or indeed follow up my complaint.

[Mainer59]

I do behave like a responsible adult with personal responsibilities and common courtesy. I behaved responsbily and swiped in and out correctly all my towels.

RC behaved less than responsibly with my credit card by charging me for towels that someone else from another stateroom had had, and yet still, over a month later they have not had the common courtesy to refund my card, or indeed follow up my complaint.

 

Apparently my point was missed.

[BillOh]

Can't be bothered by this towel nonsense.

 

At least according to the reports, your not checking out any towels may not stop you from getting billed for them. I can understand them having to charge you if you empty the minibar on your way off the ship, but the whole point of requiring towels to be returned by the evening before is to account for them. They shouldn't be charging for these after the fact.

[Aquahound]

With hotels in the UK I'm used to leaving an imprint of my credit card at the start of the stay.

But, when I'm departing, I'm given a final bill, which I check, and then they take the credit card payment for that amount. They would often ask a question like "have you used your mini bar this morning", which I would answer honestly.

And that is the end of the matter.

 

I don't like the idea of only being able to review what amounts to interim invoices from RCCL, and then receiving a charge on my credit card account which, if different, is not accompanied by a final invoice.

 

Do you want to wait in a line on departure morning with a couple thousand other people in order to do that? The ship would never get cleared.

 

I think you're getting worried about nothing. Extra charges are your discretion. If on departure morning, you buy a specialty coffee or a Cruise in Review DVD, of course it will be added. This towel charge thing is not nearly as common as suggested and if it happens, just make a phone call. They'll likely just remove it.

[temple1]

As I mentioned previously, I've never been charged for a towel or a minibar item. But I do agree having to check the towels in and out is annoying.

 

If it is really bothersome then make sure you report it on your guest survey at the end of the cruise and if you receive one of the random surveys after your cruise. Plus an email to the head honchos by more and more annoyed cruisers would help them see the light at how regular cruisers perceive the towel flap.

[Brad1185]

These towel charges are way beyond a simple accounting mistake. I still say it's a deliberate scam that RCI is doing to get extra money. There are so many posts here with all the same phony towel charges.

[DonnaK]

As I mentioned previously, I've never been charged for a towel or a minibar item. But I do agree having to check the towels in and out is annoying.

 

If it is really bothersome then make sure you report it on your guest survey at the end of the cruise and if you receive one of the random surveys after your cruise. Plus an email to the head honchos by more and more annoyed cruisers would help them see the light at how regular cruisers perceive the towel flap.

 

I hope everyone follows this great advice!!!

[Finbar127]

If it is really bothersome then make sure you report it on your guest survey at the end of the cruise and if you receive one of the random surveys after your cruise. Plus an email to the head honchos by more and more annoyed cruisers would help them see the light at how regular cruisers perceive the towel flap.

 

Good advice.

[croosieloosie]

Disembarking Oasis on last morning, buzzer went off as I scanned my sea pass card for the last time.

Had to get out of line to go stand in line at pursers desk. They wanted me to pay for towels not checked back in. I told them no way, they were welcome to check my bags for the towels. Ugh! I had checked them all back in.

So, back in the line to get off...

 

 

Different cruise, had them on our bill, but got them removed before I got off.

It is a problem.

[Cruiseoholic000]

If you have had a problem or have a concern about the towel policy wright to RCI. We are the customer and RCI most likely would like us to be happy, so that we will return time and time again. If enough us speak up about this maybe they will change the policy? I like Celebrity policy.

[Reimer]

we also were charged for a towel we returned. We noticed it on the final bill and went to guest services (on Explorer) and the charge was immediately removed. The problem is...how many don't notice they've been incorrectly charged and how concerned is RCCL about getting it correct if they're making money off it. It's not a good system.

 

It's the only possible system that works to save them from buying new towels every cruise. When there's a charge it makes people more responsible.

 

Think about a wedding, if it's an open bar there is liquor all over the place, if it's a cash bar, the patrons are licking every last drop out of their cup.

 

With that said in order to keep track, man must now rely on technology. Go figure that some crap might happen with technology when scanning towels going out and coming back and relying on technology. The majority of the time it will work and sometimes it will not. That's why everyone has a customer service department. Technology helps to make things faster but isn't 100% accurate all the time.

 

With that said. I far preferred Princess's policy of grabbing towels from the pool deck and then throwing them in the bin when you left. Didn't have to swipe a card every time you wanted to get towels and put them back.

[Ocean Boy]

Maybe if people acted like adults... :D

 

Seriously, people were leaving towels on the beaches on shore excursions and using them to hog chairs etc... maybe it's not the best way for Royal to handle the towel issue but it's how they're doing it.

 

Seriously, I have never seen one beach in the Caribbean littered with RCI towels.

[temple1]

With that said in order to keep track, man must now rely on technology. Go figure that some crap might happen with technology when scanning towels going out and coming back and relying on technology. The majority of the time it will work and sometimes it will not. That's why everyone has a customer service department. Technology helps to make things faster but isn't 100% accurate all the time.

 

Goes back to my post about it is probably more of a lack of training of the bored towel staff than RCCL trying to make a fast buck off a few select passengers.

[Aquahound]

Goes back to my post about it is probably more of a lack of training of the bored towel staff than RCCL trying to make a fast buck off a few select passengers.

 

Exactly. It would be so easy when checking out or returning 2 or more towels for that one hurried deck patrol crewmember to enter the wrong number, and I think that is exactly what is leading to these charges.

[Tucker in Texas]

Seriously, I have never seen one beach in the Caribbean littered with RCI towels.

 

A few years ago, I saw plenty of them being left on the beaches. Don't anymore.

 

Tucker in Texas

[Ocean Boy]

A few years ago, I saw plenty of them being left on the beaches. Don't anymore.

 

Tucker in Texas

 

I guess we go to different beaches. Either way, it seems like some of RCI solutions to problem behaviors is to incovenience everyone. It remeinds me a little of the old elementary school days when the teacher would keep everyone in for recess because some joker was acting up. I never bought into that concept.

[EVALUATOR]

I guess we go to different beaches. Either way, it seems like some of RCI solutions to problem behaviors is to incovenience everyone. It remeinds me a little of the old elementary school days when the teacher would keep everyone in for recess because some joker was acting up. I never bought into that concept.

 

I call that class action baby sitting.

 

We just got off the Monarch this morning. We are in Tampa already. Mrs E. is getting a PET Scan.:(

 

I am a little (well maybe a lot) angry.

 

We got a letter in the room upon embarkation telling us how D+ had complimentary pool towels in the room. When I asked the stateroom attendant, he said we needed to get them on deck 11.

 

We picked up and returned the towels there, but low and behold, 6:00 a.m. this morning there was a $20.00 charge on the sea pass account for a pool towel. Before leaving, I stopped at the Guest relations desk to have the charge removed. He said he couldn't remove the charge, only housekeeping could. They would show up at 7:30 and all we had to do is get in line with all the others disputing the charge.

 

I think not. Discover will remove the charges for me.:mad:

[Tralynn222]

Just chiming in here to also say that on our last Liberty cruise - we balanced our sea pass account on the last night against our receipts, but when we got our statement in the morning there was a $50 charge added for 2 pool towels. Of course as anal as my husband is, when he returned the towels he made sure that they scanned his card. When we went down to the desk to dispute the charge, there were two lines, one for settling up your bill and one for towel disputes. Hmmmm....my thought was "scam". They didn't question us and promptly took the charge off. I often wonder how many people pay for towels by not checking their statement. :cool:

[BillOh]

Exactly. It would be so easy when checking out or returning 2 or more towels for that one hurried deck patrol crewmember to enter the wrong number, and I think that is exactly what is leading to these charges.

 

I wonder if they charge the towel out to the room, or to the account, or the exact Seapass card. I assume they can handle it if I check a towel out and my wife returns it? Probably so, i haven't been billed for one.

[mrparkland]

Do the towels have a bar code on them ?:p

[spammie]

I'm thinking that maybe we should just skip the scanning of the seapass card altogether to obtain pool towels and just borrow a couple left behind by the chair hogs. :)

[BillOh]

I often wonder how many people pay for towels by not checking their statement. :cool:

 

You prompted me to check mine, no additional charges after getting off the ship. But who authorized that $1000 charge at the camera store in St Maartin :D

[redjockey39]

Well today, 50 days after my cruise ended, 35 days after I first complained to RC about the extra $50 on my credit card statement (the alleged unreturned towels weren't even mine, but belonged to another stateroom) , 10 days after complaining again that they still haven't removed the overcharge, they have sent me an email to say they will process the refund today. $50 in their account for over 50 days is a fair money earner.

[AlanFromFL]

Why all the complaining? big deal.

 

Whats $50 to the average RC cruiser? Chump change...

 

I am surprised anyone even caught that on their bill.

 

 

I'd be more than happy to relieve any RC cruiser of their excess cash...I promise I'll give it a great home & treat it a lot better than RCCL! :D

[mcangelwp]

So it's important to check your account as soon as it is available for review in the first part of the week.

 

We learned a few cruises ago to check our account balance every day for accuracy and I also throw all of our receipts into a drawer for backup.

We were accidentally charged twice for a wine package. We got our statement on the morning of disembarkation and about passed out until we realized the error. My husband then had to stand in the mile long line at guest services to correct the problem. We now check it each day so we can address any issues immediately and not encounter the long line on disembarkation day.

 

This isn't going to help those charged after disembarkation. I too don't agree with them charging your card after disembarkation. They should know by the time you get off the boat if you've turned your towels in or not.